Chapter 152 - Eliminated

"Ouch! What was that?" Alfred said while standing up and looking around while his eyes landed at a dusty book with crippled cover and pages which was toed with a brown old string made of pure tree trunks.

"This book *dust off the dust from it* is also about the forbidden magic but how come I never saw this one before? And why is it so protected with all these strings...." Alfred said while holding that book in his hands and standing up suddenly.

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And falling back down probably because of numbness of his legs which he almost didn't notice because of how immersed he was in his work.

"Ha! What a great way to start the day!" He said sarcastically while biting his lower lips with frustration expressed clearly in his face.

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"Maybe I should just directly head to my room along with this book, this numbness doesn't seem to go away soon." He said while closing his eyes and within a blink, he was sitting in his bed along with that book beside him.

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"Now that I am back, I should take a look at these. If I don't find anything here too then maybe I have to search for other libraries or places that have something about the forbidden magic." He talked to himself while undying the stings and with every broken string he could feel something dark power around him which he kept purifying till the end.

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"This book does not only been protected but also contains black magic....I am sure the one who wrote this book wasn't a simple person." He thought while opening the first page of the book which contain the content of the book which were very different from other content he has ever seen.

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"Greed, jealously, lust, madness, guilt, death...what type of content is this?" He said while reading the content.

Shocked enough just by the content, Alfred still somehow managed to open a chapter and read a few lines of it and the more she read the weirder it got.

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"I should show this to brother, only he knows what he should do with this," Alfred said as he closed the book and laid down in his bed and slowly closed his eyes which were tired from all the sleepless nights.

"So exhausted, should I sleep for a bit...*eyes already getting heavy* I guess I should sleep or else I won't be able to keep up with everyone" Saying that he closed his beyssand without any wasting of time he was already sleeping.

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Meanwhile with the ladies in the Iris Palace,.

"So today would be the day I would check our dance and based on your elegance I would select you and only the best can become his highness dance partner," Madam said as she we walked between the loaded ladies standing obediently in line while Lady winter was still not present there.

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"Lady Winter is not here yet?" She asked while looking at Lady Maple who had the cost room with Irene.

"...." No response came back while the door of Irene's door opened and a neatly dressed Irene came outside along with a fresh face and pale eyes.

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"I am here." She said while walking down the stairs and standing before Madam who didn't look pleased by her actions.

"Lady Winter, I think I told you all last night that one of you must be late for today work but see even after all my warning you still dared to come late. What should I take this attitude of yours as?" Madam mocked at Irene who didn't feel a thing and just nodded her what and bowed towards her and just stood at their position.

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"...Lady Winter you seriously!...." Madam said with utter frustration as she shook her head and just continued to talk with the other ladies ignoring her as much as she can.

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"Lady Winter are you okay?" A sweet and caring Lady Maple asked as she looked at her while Irene just nodded her head with a small smile on her face.

"That's good, you don't know how much worried we were for these past few days, and that's when I understood how one's mood can affect everyone else." 

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"What do you mean?" Irene asked as she looked at her with soulless eyes.

"I mean, his past few days when you were all sad and gloomy, none of us felt like laughing either and every time you skipped a meal no one of us would like to have it ourselves as if without you there is none of us." She said with a smile while Irene felt all guilty for just thinking about herself again.

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"....I must have disturbed you a lot didn't I?" Irene asked as she looked at her hands which were all sweaty and shaky.

"No no, there is nothing like disturbance, and we understand there is a life behind this castle too and you need to keep up with lots of things...but still we would like it if lady winter stops keeping anything to herself and instead tries to take it out if possible....or at least not disappear all of a sudden it scares us a lot." She said while Irene smiled at her and nodded he read with a 'Yes'.

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" I will make sure not to become all gloomy on my own and not make things hard for myself." Saying that Madam who was noticing there chatting for a long time finally called for Irene to show her moves.

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"Lady Winter, show me the part I taught you yesterday." Madam said as she sat on the chair and looked at Irene getting ready to prepare for her dance without much on her mind as she was already awarenfitbrh results but still tired form all the surprises on the sudden change in plot.

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Irene to make sure nothing changes at least in the Prince debut ball she intensely made a mess go her dance moves which provoked Madam a lot more than it should have.

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"Enough!" She said while banging her hand on the table making Irene to stop and stare at her with a *what now?* look on her face.

"Lady Winter, did you take any of the dance classes seriously? Or did you atleast listend to my instructions?" She asked in top of her voice to which she answered with a yes everytime.

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"What is Lady winter up too? She is acting so cool and collected making her more angry." Lady Astor who was already eliminated asked to Lady Coral beside her who too was eliminated.

"Who knows? Lady wiyner has become unpredictable nowadays." Lady Coral answerd back while pouting not feeling much of a heartbreak as they weren't really after hr empress seat.

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"Well, atleast we would be free form this hell~" Lady Astor who was excited to return home said to coral who was busy looking at Irene.

"Yeah....but have you ever noticed one thing about lady witner..."

"What?" 

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"Lady winter has lost a lot of her weight...you know I don't mean mean was over weight and all but....she looks weak and sick like sje might fall down anytime soon..." Lady Coral said as she observed the veins clearly being seen on Irene's wrist and her pale and think body.

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"Now that you mentioned it, I noticed it too, we all eat the same thing and yet she lost her wight so suddenly...that's very abnormal..." Lady Astor said as she looked behind them and Lady Hilton who was listening to them had her eyes fixed at Irene.

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"Lady Hilton, are you eliminated too?" Both for them asked but much to their anticipation she shook her head which meant she was shortlisted.

"Good for you, because both of us are going back today and by the looks on Madam face I think Lady winter might join us too." Lady cotla said as she smiled at how mad madam was and how clam Irene looked.

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"....Do you guys think Madam is mad because Lady Winter couldn't dance well?" Lady Hilton asked to which bith if them nodded their head like is there any other possibility expect for this?

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"Ha, it's understandable you both don't have keen eyes like Madam who has been traning the to-be-Crown Princess since decades...anyway. the reason she is fuming with anger is because she knows Lady Winter made a mess of her dance moves intentionally." Lady Hilton said and both of the ladies jaw dropped with a *What!* look on their faces.

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"What and why would Lady winter do that? Especially when she is so close tubby h3 crown prince wouldn't being his partner beba good thing for her." Lady Astor asked looking at Lady Hilton.

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"Who knows, why she did that? But I found her messy over pretty too." 

"Yeah me too, if Madam didn't stopped her I must have just clapped at the ending." 

"Right,.Hmm still its such a pity. A perfect lady like her won't be able to stand with his Highness." 

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"Lady Winter, you have disappointed me....you are eliminated." Madam said with a sigh as Irene bowed towards and walked towards the necjes with a small smile on her face.

"Finally, I am free...."